Polar Night Energy : How a sand battery could solve green energy ’ s biggest challenge
The threat of a gas-less , oil-less winter is a very real concern for Finland , the country with the EU ’ s longest Russian border . Following the Finnish government ’ s decision to join NATO in recent months ( a decision in itself stemming from Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine ) Russia has halted its supply of gas and oil , as well as fluctuating its electricity exports . As with the rest of the world , however , Finland has been preparing for a shift in energy production and these latest disruptions have only expedited research projects for more local but still reliable source and storage of power . One engineering-led company in Finland , called Polar Night Energy ( PNE ), has found a potential solution that is both cheap and impressively simple : Sand .
By Ellie Pritchard